Just 3 players who started against Saracens are in Racing's Top 14 team on Saturday after last week's virus outbreak
Racing will start just three players against Toulouse in the Top 14 on Saturday night who were in the XV that dethroned defending champions Saracens in the Champions Cup semi-finals a fortnight ago in Paris.
The Parisian club’s Top 14 match at La Rochelle was postponed last weekend due to nine unnamed players testing positive for Covid-19 in the days after their last-four European game.
However, it’s believed the outbreak has been stifled and there is no threat to Racing’s participation in next Saturday’s Champions Cup final versus Exeter in Bristol.
The Racing squad not involved against Toulouse have entered a bubble in a Coscica hotel and will re-unite as a full squad on the island after that game is over.
Teddy Thomas, Olivier Klemenczak and Donnacha Ryan are the three repeat Racing starters from the win over Saracens.
"He is a quality dude, a quality person"
– @simonzebo talked Andy Farrell, Ireland, Champions Cup and his infamous 2013 Lions forfeit on the new RugbyPass Offload show he is hosting with Dylan Hartley, Jamie Roberts and Ryan Wilson ?
https://t.co/O7l6izUc1F— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 8, 2020
Teddy Baubigny, Boris Palu, Maxime Machenaud, Antoine Gibert and Francois-Trinh Duc, who were replacements against the London club, are all promoted to the starting XV.
Two further European starters, Camille Chat and Dominic Bird, are chosen on the bench where they are joined by Hassane Kolingar and Fabien Sanconnie, two subs from the semi-final.
It means that twelve of the 23 that faced Saracens are on league duty, with the likes of Finn Russell, Virimi Vakatawa and Simon Zebo all wrapped up ahead of next week’s European decider.
With France on red alert due to increasing numbers of Covid-19 cases, the number of fans allowed attend is also restricted to 1,000.
“It’s heartbreaking for the club and the players,” read a club statement, “but we are counting on all of your support for this game and hope that the situation improves in the coming weeks.”
“As rugby clubs around the country we are probably in our most dangerous period – and I include us in that”
– The feeling from Exeter as the 2019/20 season comes down to the wire in England and Europe with instances of Covid-19 on the rise at large https://t.co/YWu90Lb0tk
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 8, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
The first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
31 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
4 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
31 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
31 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to comments